Kingston could get a boost from new parking rules

KINGSTON - Loosening Kingston's parking rules could make its downtown more walkable and economically vibrant, county planners say.

The Kitsap County Department of Community Development is proposing a host of parking code changes aimed at shifting parking away from downtown storefronts frequented by window shoppers and other pedestrians.

County rules that require on-site parking have driven away some potential development projects because a large amount of a lot's area must be devoted to parking rather than commercial space.

Developers have "walked away from potential projects because they couldn't get a good profit margin," said county long-range planner Scott Diener.

Current rules require one parking spot per 200 square feet of gross floor area for most restaurants and retail shops. That means a new 1,000-square-foot bakery or bookstore would need five on-site parking spots, totaling about 500 square feet.

Most business owners would rather have a larger portion of their lot devoted to shop space rather than parking, said Dave Wetter, a member of the Kingston Citizen Advisory Council.

The county is proposing rules that allow parking in setbacks behind buildings and off-site parking areas that could be shared by two or more businesses. A minimum of two parking spaces would be required on commercial lots, regardless of how many spaces are moved off-site. A business could count an on-street space as one of its required spaces for a fee, according to the proposals.

Employee parking would have to be located off-site to allow more customer space near shops and restaurants.

Multi-unit residential parking in the downtown area would go from 2.5 to 1.5 spaces per unit.

One bicycle parking space would be required for every ten paces allowed for motor vehicles.

Wetter said the community has been calling for the changes for years.

"Right now, we have standards that require a sea of parking," he said. "To have the walkable community we want, we have to have flexibility in how we deal with parking."

Planners have patterned the proposed rules after those used in Winslow on Bainbridge Island, and in Edmonds. Both communities are small and ferry-oriented like Kingston, but have zoning rules that appear to foster more small-scale commercial activity and social interaction.

Wetter, who helped draft the parking recommendations, said Kingston's current zoning encourages development more along the lines of Silverdale, which has large retail spaces and vast parking lots.

"Kingston's not likely to go the way of big-box stores," he said.

A Winslow-like downtown is a better fit for Kingston, although there are trade-offs.

"Winslow is a bit more vibrant," Wetter said. "You might have to circle the block to find a parking spot. If you go to (Kingston's) downtown, there are spots all over."

The county planning commission, which heard a presentation on the proposed changes on Tuesday, expressed some concerns about how the off-site employee parking rule would be enforced.

Planners said such rules work well in Winslow and Edmonds, and that business owners typically handle enforcement because they would prefer that prime parking spots remain open for customers.

If the new rules work well in Kingston, they could be applied to the county's other small urban areas, such as Manchester and Suquamish. Some commission members cautioned that the new rules should undergo additional review before they are applied to other areas.

Wetter suggested the rules go further, possibly reducing the number of spaces required for commercial properties, as planners have proposed for multi-unit residential areas.

"That should also be studied and looked at ... but (the planners' recommendations) are a good interim step," he said.

Planners had several additional parking-related suggestions to improve downtown Kingston.

Diener said the county and Port of Kingston might consider building a parking garage to help meet demand for off-site parking.

He said greater enforcement could free up certain parking areas taken by ferry commuters and generate revenue for parking-related improvements.

Diener said future downtown planning should balance on-street parking with the need for greater stormwater treatment infrastructure, such as streetside raingardens. Allowing space for trees, bike racks and benches should also be considered when planning a more walkable and less car-oriented downtown, he said.

The proposed parking rules are scheduled for a public hearing before the county commission on April 14.